The City of Shreveport's proposed 2018 budget doubles the amount given to police and fire employees to pay for their work uniforms
(Lex Talamo/The Times)

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The Shreveport Police officer averaged 11 officers per day who worked a second shift within a 24-hour period for the week of Aug. 27 to Sept. 2, according to police data.(Photo: Henrietta Wildsmith/The Times)Buy Photo

The City of Shreveport's proposed 2018 budget would double the clothing allowance for police and fire employees to $400, restoring the amount paid before tight city revenue prompted a reduction.

Officers now receive $200 each year to pay for their uniforms. The amount was reduced in 2014.

"Due to the often very physical nature of their work, these brave men and women regularly damage their work uniforms," said Brian Crawford, the city's chief administrative officer.

The proposed budget would allot $264,000 for police officer clothing allowances and $320,000 for firefighters.

Crawford, who also spent more than 28 years in the Shreveport Fire Department, said the $400 figure was derived from "past experience of the wear and tear factor" as well as replacement costs.

Budget approval is in the early stages, with detailed work sessions slated for November. Several city council members said they fully supported the clothing allowance, while others voiced tentative support and the need to consider other city priorities.

An increase

Councilman Michael Corbin said he would be "fine" with restoring the clothing allowance, noting that the nature of daily police and fire work "can be quite tough on uniforms and footwear."

"This is simply another way to be sure those serving have the best and proper equipment possible when serving," he said.

Councilman Jerry Bowman said the importance of restoring the clothing allowance came to his attention through the Police Officers Association president, Michael Carter.

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The City of Shreveport's proposed 2018 budget would increase the amount fire and police officers would receive from $200 to $400.(Photo: Lex Talamo/The Times)

"It was a shocker to me, knowing that a good pair of boots are $100 alone," Bowman said, adding, "We should furnish either a uniform or a pair of boots along with the allowance."

Carter said the officers association strongly supports increasing the allowance.

He said all officers, regardless of rank, must have at least one "Class A" uniform: the navy blue pants and button-down shirt most commonly seen when officers are out at public events and considered the most "professional" by the department.

Carter put for a Class A Uniform at about $500, based on what he's paid in the past:

$150 for a pair of shoes or boots.

$37 for pants.

$32 for a shirt, plus an additional $12 for customized patches or stripes.

$132 for a replacement name tag and badge.

$108 for a vest outer cover.

"One uniform, not including undergarments or additional gear, is far more than $200 a year," he said.

Cpl. Angie Willhite, department spokeswoman, said the department has a bid contract with Ranchland in Bossier City where officers can buy Class A uniforms for slightly reduced charges: $89 for boots, $36.50 for pants, $27 for a shirt, $74 for a replacement name tag and badge and $60.50 for an outer vest cover.

Carter said detectives also are required to buy "civilian business attire" — formal suits and accessories — while still having a Class A uniform.

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All officers must have a "Class A" uniform, pictured here.(Photo: Lex Talamo/The Times)

"While I was a detective, I spent on average $1,300 each year over my $500 year allowance consistently," Carter said. "Now that I am back in the (Uniform Services Division), I spent about $600 to $700 a year above the $200 allowance."

Carter estimated that an officer needs at least four complete uniforms to get through a week.

Many officers have personal preferences that are not covered on the clothing allowance's "approved" list, he said. These items, paid for out of pocket by officers, include special underbelts, quality shoes with inserts, outer protective vest covers, safety knives for cutting seat belts and "backup weapons" such as rifles and handguns, Cater said.

Willhite said the city provides guns, magazines, ammunition, batons, flashlights, inner protective vests, badges and radios. The department also replaces badges and broken equipment when officers can prove their gear was damaged in the line of duty.

"Extra stuff we're not going to cover, but I've known that from since I came here," Willhite said.

Any items officers buy for themselves to use in the line of duty qualify for a tax write-off, she said.

The reduction

The police department also has seen other reductions in recent years, including termination of tuition reimbursements, the monthly allowance for uniform cleaning and a more lenient take-home vehicle policy.

Cutting the clothing allowance $400 to its $200 in 2014 saved about $130,000 per year, city officials said.

Councilman James Flurry called that reduction a "bad policy" that caused a morale problem.

Willhite said she was working as a detective when the clothing allowance was cut. She said she adjusted but did not see an overall decline in officer happiness or job satisfaction.

Corbin, who also served as a councilman with former Mayor Cedric Glover, said the Glover Administration reduced the clothing allowance in response to "a tighter budget."

"It was based on how many of the individual allocations were not used on an annual basis," Corbin said. "I do not believe it was a hot topic at the time."

Glover said the clothing allowance reduction "was not because of a lack of appreciation or respect." The reduction helped fund other initiatives to reduce crime, he said.

Those efforts included providing take-home vehicles to officers living in Shreveport, exempting city officers from paying city property taxes, and providing the 2 percent annual raise, a city tradition, though not required by state law.

Glover said his administration also hired "the highest number of police officers ever" and adding non-officers to take over administrative duties to free certified officers to fight crime.

"All of these things take resources," Glover said in an emailed statement. "We took those that were entrusted and available to us and allotted them in a manner that allowed us to be able to do the greatest good for the largest number of people."

Ollie Tyler, the current mayor, said in an email that the proposed 2018 budget also would keep police staffing "at its highest level possible," including funding for 50 new officers from two basic training classes this year and 40 additional officers from next year's February academy.

Other priorities

The proposed budget also includes a 5 percent raise for police employees and $1 million for 25 replacement police patrol vehicles.

"Over the last two years and 10 months, my administration has worked diligently with the police and fire departments to ensure police officers and firefighters are provided the necessary resources to accomplish their mission of keeping the city safe," Tyler said.

Tyler said the budget proposals stemmed from concerns she heard from officers about clothing, pay, staffing levels and the need for new patrol cars.

Several council members expressed support for the budget's police provisions but said they'd like to see the city support the department even more.

Flurry said there was "some talk" in council of increasing officer and firefighter's clothing allowance to $500, but added, "We'll see."

Bowman said that police pay is "a major concern" and that he would like to increase officer pay an additional 1 to 3 percent.

"I will ask for it," he said. "Whether it will happen or not, I'm still asking for it for our men and women who serve and protect us daily."

The answer to that question is not a lack of appreciation for what police do but a matter of other unmet needs in the city, Councilman Corbin said.